Process for converting vegetable fibers into threads of silky appearance.



J. M. J. DEBOURG. PROCESS FOR CONVERTING VEGETABLE FIBERS NTO THREADS 0F SILKY APPEARANCE APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1911.

1,018,650. Patented F621. 2?, 1912.

rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEAN MARIE JOSEPH DEBOURG, 0F LYON, FRANCE.

PROCESS FOR CONVERTING VEGETABLE FIBERS INTO THREADS OF SILKY APPEARANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JEAN MARIE JOSEPH Dnnouno, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Lyon, in France, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Processes for Converting Vegetable Fibers into Threads of Silky Appearance, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is a process for converting into silky threads, vegetable fibers such as flax, hemp, ramie and nettle.

The vegetablematerials in the form of twists, plaits, branches or other form'aecording to their nature, are first placed in a boiling apparatus being then heated in two successive alkaline baths and washed. The materials are then carded, combed and spun, according to the use for which they are destined. v

The annexed drawing shows as an example a boiler suitable for heating the materials, the figure being a vertical section of such boiler.

a designates a cylindrical boiler closed by a hinged steam-tight lid byand secured by pivoted pins c. A cage (Z haying a transparent cover is arranged in the interior pf the boiler and contains a number of superposed receptacles e e containiltg the materials to be treated. The said'i.'{receptacles, only two of which are represented in the drawing, are sha ed like shallow circular trays and made 0 perforated metal. They rest one on the other and are provided at the center with an opening for passage of the vertical arm of a coil f. The said coil which ends in a cock 9. outside the apparatus makes several turns 'in the interior of the boiler, around the cage d and then passes vertically upward at the axis of the apparatus. The coil is provided t-hropghout its length with a quantity of small holes, which allow steam admitted through thefirock g to escape into the liquid for the baths, and to heat themto the desired temperature. The

' apparatus is completed by a drain cock h, a

pressure gage 1?, a water-gage j, and, if necessary, one or more safety-valves 71:.

,The method of operation is as follows The trays e are charged separately with the materials to be treated, care being taken not to completely fill same, in order to allow for expansion and to permit them to be easily K water.

penetrated by the bath. The trays are then placed one above the other in the interior of the page (Z and the whole is placed in the bo leiaa. "A bath is then introduced into the boiler, composed of a solution of carbonate of soda of about 5(i kgs. to 1000 liters of The boiler is then closed and the bath heated for about two hours to a temperature of 120 centigrade to 130 cent-igrade corresponding to 2 or 3 atmospheres. This bath is drained oil and replaced by another bath containing, to 100 liters of water, I

Slaked lim i 108 kilogr.

Bisulfite of soda 5 v 250 grams. Sal-ammoniac 5 500 Peroxid of sodium" 0 560 Salts of magnesium- 5 750' tions of carding, combing, spinning, dyeing,

etc., necessitated by thcir nature or purpose. Those materials which are to be of light colors can be bleached. The cleanliness and brilliancy of the threads which may have been tarnished by these processes can be restored by treating them again slightly in. a similar manner.

It should be understood that the propor tions indicated above can vary within certain limits according to the material under treatment, and the chemicals can be replaced by others in. certain cases where the chemical composition will act better on the materials.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A. process for converting vegetable fibers into threads of silky appearance which comprises first immersing the fibers in a heated solution of carbonate of soda in a boiler under pressure; drawing off the bath from the boiler and replacing same by a heated bath of slakcd lime, bisulfite of soda,

Patented Feb. 2'7, 1912. Application filed May 16. 1911. Serial No. 627,561. I v i snl-ammoniac, peroxid of sodium and salts of magnesium and subsequently rinsing the fibers in water.

2. A process for converting vegetable fibers into threads of'silky appearance consisting in first immersingthe fibers in a heated solution of carbonate of soda in a v boiler under pressure drawing off the bath of magnesium, primarily rinsing the fibers 'in an acid bath and finally rinsing said 1:)

with warm water in the boiler removing the fibers from the b01ler and immersing them fibers in water.

In Witness whereof I have signed this specification 1n the presence of two witnesses.

JEAN MARIE JOSEPH DEBOUILG.

Witnesses GASTON Jnixuxuux, Tnos. lV. Bnowxn. 

